QUICKIES: DON’T CALL IT A COMEBACK EDITION

"Psst...Hey, Freddie, your friend over there would look great in my playroom right between my Lego Darth Vader and pterodactyl egg."

THE STROKES RETURN TO RECORDING, CALL IT “AWFUL”

The Strokes return from a five year hiatus to release their fourth studio record Angles on March 22. The album, according to guitarist Nick Valensi, was apparently the result of an “awful” recording process, filled with scattered sessions and isolated takes, mostly without vocals. They’ve been streaming it online for a little while now, but I’ve yet to check it out. I think I need to make that a priority now, though, because I’m baffled that Valensi felt the recording experience to be terrible enough to make that statement before the record’s even released. Don’t try too hard to retain all those confused fans of yours who still think it’s 2001, guys! [via Gibson]

THE DARKNESS RETURN TO BEING A BAND, CALL THEMSELVES “GOBSMACKED”

The Darkness have announced that they’re reuniting, after their 2007 split due to frontman Justin Hawkins’ massive drug and alcohol addictions. With the original line-up intact, they’ll be recording a new record this spring and playing the UK’s Download Festival in June. Reacting to fans’ overwhelming response, Hawkins has claimed that he is “gobsmacked.” I’m not sure what that means, but I imagine he tweeted that in full leopard-print unitard. I’m excited about this. I loved the hell out of their first album, and have waited for them to capture that magic again and waft away the stink of their turd of a second album. If you’re got the time, Hamish MacBain wrote a great editorial piece on their appeal and genuine appreciation and love for pure rock, and how their bombastic, over-the-top songwriting was their eventual undoing once they entered the mainstream which never quite got them. [via NME]

Somehow, a three-song collaboration between Freddie Mercury and Michael Jackson has yet to be released and been kept under-wraps, until now. Recorded in 1983, they were supposed to be released in 2002, but the release was nixed for some reason. This has me concerned because if they thought that MJ’s “The Girl Is Mine” with Paul McCartney was good enough to see the light of day and not these songs, there’s not much hope for these tracks. I’ve squeezed out farts that were more listenable than that garbage. [via NME]